The 17th Annual Inuktitut Speak off will be going ahead at Jens Haven Memorial School gym tonight.

Christine Nochasak is the Supervisor for the Inuktitut speak-off.

The event will begin at 7 pm tonight at the JHMS school gym.

There will be five schools in the speak-off including Nain, Postville, Hopedale, Rigolet and Makkovik.

Each school will consist of one teacher and two students to attend the speak-off.

The judges will be Joan Dicker and Sue Webb.

Tina Webb from Happy Valley-Goose Bay who is also the supervisor will be attending.

One of our radio producers will also be recording the Inuktitut speak-off.

An Earthquake was announced yesterday afternoon near the community of Postville.

We spoke with Stephen Halchuk, who is a Seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

He says approximate location of the earthquake was in Labrador 17 km East of Postville.

He says the magnitude was 4.3.

The last report of an Earthquake in Labrador was south of Happy Valley Goose Bay in July, 2012.

Click here to find out more about this earthquake near Postville.

Three youth, two adults and our radio producer intern had an opportunity to go out on the land last Friday.

Kim Oliver is the Youth Centre Outreach Worker in Nain for the Department of Health and Social Development.

Oliver, David Dicker Jr., Susan Saksagiak, Phillip Semigak, Mark Dicker, Sheila Angatok Jr. and Keryn Andersen went up to Anaktalik.

The group went wooding for two elders, had a boil-up and did some fishing.

Lucas and Ernestina Ittulak were grateful that they were the chosen elders to receive the wood.

The Jens Haven Memorial Huskies went to the table tennis regionals this past weekend and will be going to provincials to represent the Labrador Region.

We spoke with Julie Dicker who was the coach for the Nain Huskies.

The regionals took place at the Sheshatshiu Innu School in Sheshatshiu.

Nain and Churchill Falls was in the individual competitions and Nain, Churchill Falls and Sheshatshiu was in the team competitions.

Here are the results from the regionals:
-Husky Boys got first and second in singles
-Husky girls got first and second in singles
– Huskies got second and third in boy’s doubles
– Husky girls got first in doubles
-Huskies got first and second place in mixed doubles

The Huskies also got the male and female MVP awards.

Inuttitut Classes are starting to take place in each of the north coast communities of Nunatsiavut.

Gillian Edmunds is the Liaison Officer in Postville.

She says she volunteers to hold classes along with the Life Skills teacher, Alanna Edmunds.

The sessions are held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they hold Inuttitut Language Sessions from 6-7 pm.

Click here to hear Edmunds on her sessions.

Groundhog Day is a popular tradition observed in Canada on February 2nd.

According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2020.

Shubenacadie Sam didn’t take long after he emerged from his burrow to make the call for six more weeks of winter on Sunday morning.

So according to Sam it’s another six weeks of winter.

Widows Day festival went ahead yesterday, Sunday, February 2nd.

Mary Andersen was the captain for Widows Day.

She says herself along with 6 people had their day and here is her message:

“Thank you so much to the people who made our Widow’s Day enjoyable. To our cooks who helped out a lot Kitu Solomon, Katie Barbour, Pauline Dicker and Regina Dicker. To Pijiks Regina Andersen, Jerry Barbour, Matt Barbour, Joshua Jack, and Johnny Winters. Also to Harry Green, Buddy and Jenny Merkuratsuk and the bell ringer. To the Nain Choir, Darlene Holwell, they comforted us very much. To all the people who did cakes and that, to Ulapitsaijet who gave us money for food and necessities. To Recreations, Lisa Ivany who gave us bingo cards. From all the Widow’s in Nain.”

The church services were at 10 am, 3 pm Love feast and 5 pm closing service.

The Nunatsiavut Assembly Sitting was held in Hopedale last month in January.

We spoke with Edward Blake Rudkowski who is one of the speakers of the Nunatsiavut Assembly and also one of the two Ordinary members for Canada.

The assembly took place on January 21st, 2020.

During the assembly sitting a lot happened.

They elected a First Minister in between election terms.

Click here to find out more on what happened.

OK Radio contacted each of the Nunatsiavut communities for the ice conditions.

We spoke with Joe Dicker the AngajukKâk of the Nain Inuit Community Government.

He says they hired 3 trail marker workers that started on Monday, Jan. 27th.

They will put trail markers up to Siugak Point and are still waiting for the ice to form to place the shelters at Nochalik Island and down past Etua Noah’s cabin.

He also mentions that the Sikumiut has been working on the bridges at the ships track, and as the ice conditions allow us, they’re working their way to Natuashish.

Ian Winters is the Conservation Officer in Hopedale.

He says the ice is slowly forming on the outside of Hopedale but cannot go to Makkovik or Postville on the normal ice trail.

Winters also says the markers from Hopedale to Big Bay neck is safe only to go around the winter route.

There are hunters getting around, just can’t get to around to places from previous years.

Winters adds that the straighter travels routes to Makkovik and Natuashish are not safe yet, so they are going on the inside routes, and there is not yet enough snow for grooming.

The AngajukKâk of Makkovik, Barry Andersen says the ice at Makkovik Bay towards Postville is in good condition measuring 18-20 inches.

He also says where there’s not enough snow, their groomer is not operating yet, but their trail marking is nearly complete between Little Neck and Postville.

The ice inland is in good condition and the travel between Makkovik and Burnt Lake being marked with markers.

Melanie Gear, Town Clerk of Postville says going up and out the bay is in good condition.

She says their ice is estimated to 14-21 inches and the travel between Makkovik, Postville and Happy Valley-Goose Bay is safe.

She adds that they started marking their trail markers on Tuesday between Postville and Separation Lake.

The Widow’s Traditional Festival Day is just a couple days away.

Mary Andersen is the captain for this special festival day.

She says herself and 6 others will celebrate their day at her house.

Andersen says Kitura Solomon and Katie Barbour will be their cooks and she is looking for more helpers, mainly men.

The Widows Day is celebrated on February 2nd.

They attend the church services at 10 am, 3 pm Love feast and 5 pm closing service.

So, any widows wanting to have their Widow’s Day can call Mary Andersen at 922-2930.